>A lot of the filmmakers I spoke with have credited the
>Criterion DVDs as the reason for their familiarity, but most
>of those filmmakers are American. Maybe that has something to
>do with it.

The Criterion DVD came out in 2004. The only poll it could've have played a part in is this newest one. And I doubt it had much to do with its placement in the 2012 poll.

The vast majority of the voters because of their profession and/or where they live would have seen The Rules of the Game without the '04 and '11 Criterion DVDs.


>I know Ozu and Renoir's films were particularly difficult to
>find in the U.S. twenty years ago, and it's really just
>Criterion pumping out those flicks. I was attributing their
>success on this and other lists to that.

Their films were on VHS and laserdisc as well.